The Tower (Failure, Bankruptcy and Being Canceled)

The Tower (Failure, Bankruptcy and Being Canceled)

Henry reveals the bankruptcy of their extremely successful fashion company. This week's gossip centers around the utter dread of being invited to celebrity events, feeling too loose on the podcast and how everyone's lives are literally falling apart(0:00). Korean 101 for Kari is the topic of "Aegyo" which means baby-like behavior in Korean, which Henry is a big fan of and Youngmi attributes to Imperial Japan (like always) and p3do-coded Kawaii-culture(17:20). The main topic of the week is failure. Henry talks about the failure of their immensely popular shoe company and the excrutiating feeling of letting down the queer community. Youngmi discusses Mission Chinese being canceled and Kari gives advice as someone who's risen from the ashes of the proverbial rock bottom(33:23).

The Hipster Grifter Forever (Part 2)

Part 2 of Kari's story as The Hipster Grifter. Youngmi talks about having to get a restaurant job and working with people who are 20 years younger(0:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-C2ZrU_Yco]). Henry discusses how they lost a modeling job because they negotiated the pay too aggressively, due to being self-conscious about not advocating for themselves enough(11:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-C2ZrU_Yco&t=680s]). Korean 101 for Kari focuses on Korean floor cleanliness vs. American floor cleanliness (21:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-C2ZrU_Yco&t=1290s]). Kari shares the final chapter of being The Hipster Grifter, talking about the last few days of being on the lam (31:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-C2ZrU_Yco&t=1860s]) before giving an incisive take on the horrors of the American prison industrial complex, which lead her to becoming an outspoken prison abolition activist.(40:55 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-C2ZrU_Yco&t=2455s]).

The Hipster (derogatory) Grifter (complimentary) Part 1

Kari reveals she is The Hipster Grifter. Henry talks about starting antidepressents and mistakenly says Don Cheadle was the principal in the movie Mean Girls(0:00). Youngmi and Henry quiz Kari on Korean words that are borrowed words from English(24:40). In part 1 of the interview, Kari talks about the events in her young life that led her to becoming the main villain of New York City in the aughts(39:58). In an era where genpop did not know what 'hipster' or 'grifter' meant, Kari became the introduction to both of those words for many people. The hosts discuss how different the perspective was back then, because Kari- a struggling young Korean girl who stole very small sums of money from white trustfund artworld nepo baby dudes- was painted as a villain by Vice Magazine (derogatory), when in today's political climate, she would be seen as a folk hero.

Hudson News from Hockey Movie (Mixed Race)

Youngmi talks about being Wasian. The reject Asians discuss being called "Chino/China" and how internet trolls are evolving into moral superemacists (0:00). Henry teaches Kari the only Korean word she needs to know: 네 (23:26). Youngmi talks about the perception in America among Asian Americans that biracial Asians are 'privileged' and compares it to her childhood experience of growing up mixed race in Korea in the 80s and 90s which was decidedly... not great (28:06). The hosts discuss what it means in America to be 'mixed race' including the difference between White+Asian (Wasian) and every other mixed race person- which involves a lot of Barack Obama and Hudson News from Hockey Movie (Hudson Williams) discourse.

Jjom Gay Gatae?? (Gender/LGBTQIA+)

Henry talks about being gaaaayyyyyyy, focusing on the difference in the Asian American vs. Korean perspective on gender fluidity and homosexuality. Kari gets a lesson in 'pouring drinks according to your age' culture in Korea. Kari is also gay and gives her perspective. Youngmi misgenders Henry and then spreads misinformation about how it's 'illegal' to be gay in Korea before doing a simple google search and realizing that is not true. Don't forget we have bonus mini episodes on patreon!! patreon.com/disorientalpodcast. thank you for listening.